


No Less Than I Will Miss You

by pendrecarc



Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Epistolary, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 13:36:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pendrecarc/pseuds/pendrecarc
Summary: A correspondence under several names.





	No Less Than I Will Miss You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noahfronsenburg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahfronsenburg/gifts).



To Eddis Helen, greetings—

His Majesty the King of Sounis conveys his deepest respect and admiration and, as ever, the wish that their nations might be united by the bonds of friendship. He believes Her Majesty feels, as he does, that their shared heritage and common diplomatic interests must be a foundation for a committed alliance, and he is deeply desirous of cementing that alliance both politically and personally. He sends the enclosed gifts as a token of his esteem, with the earnest hope that she will welcome his formal offer of marriage.

Her Majesty is already aware of many points in favor of his suit, but to these His Majesty presents another: that he has recently come into possession of an item of great significance to the country of Eddis and its ruling house, the stone known as Hamiathes’ Gift. Her Majesty can hardly fail to appreciate the great advantage she must gain by joining herself in marriage to the bearer of the Gift, with all the power and authority it conveys.

His Majesty eagerly awaits Eddis Helen’s reply, and hopes she is as eager to be joined to him in the sight of her subjects and his, with the blessings of his gods and hers; and that he may present this precious artifact, so long believed lost, to his bride and queen as a wedding gift.

\- Sounis

 

* * *

 

 

To Sounis Kyrillos,

I acknowledge and appreciate the great honor done to me in this proposal of marriage. It is indeed my wish that our nations should enjoy the mutual benefit of peace and profitable trade, and I trust we will maintain our continued friendship whatever the future nature of our alliance. I hope you will understand that such an offer requires serious consideration and discussion with my ministers and advisors, and that you will allow me sufficient time to arrive at a decision.

I send this letter with your emissary in the company of such gifts as I hope will convey the utmost goodwill from my court to yours.

\- Eddis Helen

 

* * *

 

Magus,

I already had word of your safe return to Sounis, but even if I hadn’t, the suddenly sensible communication I started receiving from your king might have told me who was writing the letters. I’m glad you—and Sounis’ heir—have come through your eventful journey unscathed. I do wish you had been able to witness the ceremony returning Hamiathes’ Gift to the mountain, but I know Sounis was in need of your counsel, and I hope we parted on terms of mutual understanding about the nature of Eddis’ sovereignty.

I’ve included this private communication in our diplomatic packet to reassure you that Eugenides’ health continues to improve, and we expect him to be fully recovered very soon. You can imagine the effect this will have on my court. We'd been enjoying a period of unusual tranquility.

You can also imagine the effect he will have on your own court, if I ever find myself in a position to send him back to Sounis. But I’m certain your king has already shared the messages I’ve sent to that effect. Do keep it in mind.

I also wanted to ask you to tell your apprentice I would welcome his letters, if he’s still as interested in writing them as he was on your departure.

\- Eddis

 

* * *

 

 _Illegible_ —

Please forgive me for raising what should have been a personal and confidential matter, but—as you may have heard from other sources—certain documents have been read more widely than their authors would have intended, with unfortunate results. While I regret having been informed of their contents, may I say the contents themselves were a welcome confirmation of something I had long hoped?

I’ve lately taken on new apprentices. I anticipate spending more effort on their training and management than in the past, and as a result I won’t have time to continue my own correspondence.

My apologies for sending this by such a circuitous route,

— _Illegible_

 

* * *

 

To Eddis Helen, respectful greetings—

His Majesty the King of Sounis has considered your request for assistance in the matter of our mutual neighbor, and he finds he must decline. He hopes you understand his reluctance to intervene in a conflict not of his instigation or choosing, and that he must prioritize the stability of our region in the face of an outside threat.

That being said, he wishes you to know he was deeply shocked by the incident in Attolia’s capital that resulted in this conflict. He has lately offered prayers for the recovery of your cousin’s health, and hopes to hear news of his continued improvement,

\- Sounis Kyrillos

 

* * *

 

Magus—

If you want to know how he is, come see for yourself.

\- Eddis

 

* * *

 

Your Majesty,

Thank you, again, for your hospitality, even under difficult circumstances. I’m glad I was able to join you even briefly, and I only regret that we had so little time to speak directly. I had the impression that certain of your ministers preferred to limit my access to you. I can understand why.

I was pleased to find Gen in good physical health. I didn’t intend to upset him with the political news, but when I left him he looked at least somewhat more energetic than when I arrived, so it was probably for the best. In time he may have something to say to you on the matter. I hope you’ll listen to him if he does.

I’m sorry I won’t be able to bid you a more lengthy farewell, but my duty lies elsewhere. Please do believe my respect for you is as genuine as ever. If the gods are willing, I’ll enjoy your hospitality again, and soon, in a more congenial climate.

\- Magus

 

* * *

 

Magus,

I’m so pleased to be able to extend my hospitality to you once again—though I imagine it’s even sooner than you expected. I hope the accommodations are to your liking. I spent many pleasant summers here during my childhood and trust you’ll find it as restful as I always have. If news of the outside world is slow to arrive, well, that is a regrettable but necessary consequence of rustic isolation.

\- Eddis

 

* * *

 

Magus,

You were right not to come to Attolia, and I envy you. I’m not sure which of them is behaving more ineptly, but the ridiculous thing is that I think it _is_ a love match on both sides, though the gods know if Eugenides will convince Attolia to believe it on his part or admit it on her own. So far he’s only managed to cause a spectacular amount of damage to her palace and frighten me half to death.

I write this in a few spare minutes between marriage negotiations. For once there aren’t any ministers, aides, or attendants at my elbow, but I don’t think that will last, so let me say briefly and privately: I hope they don’t squander this chance. I’m telling you because I have no-one here to complain to. Gen won’t hear it, Attolia is out of the question, and I can only imagine what my Minister of War would say. So I’ll admit that I envy them even more than I envy you. I may be able to refuse a marriage because of my personal preference, but I’ve long since accepted I won’t be able to make one for affection alone, whatever I might want for myself. I’d like to pity the pair of them for their clumsiness but I can’t muster up much sympathy.

I doubt Agape would, either. And speaking of marriage negotiations, I’ll want your opinion on hers once we’ve started them in earnest. There, that’s stopped me feeling sorry for myself.

\- Eddis

 

* * *

 

Magus—I don’t know how to write this. I’ve had word from Letnos that Sophos is missing. My sources have little more to say just yet, but I’ve left instructions that you’re to be given as much information as you ask for.

Gods willing, this wedding will come off and I’ll be home soon, and we can speak then.

\- Helen

 

* * *

 

Helen,

I have little to say that you won’t already know—that I’ve arrived in Sounis safely, that I expect that safety to last as long as I make myself useful, and that when it comes to Sophos I still have more hope than reason for it.

We leave for Hanaktos tomorrow, for reasons I’m certain you can guess. I don’t know if or when I’ll be able to write again with any safety; I send this now only because I did promise.

My duty still lies elsewhere, but then you know that as well, and that I am—

—Yours

 

* * *

 

My Queen—

I write from your second capital. By now you and My King will have received the official report on my progress with Sounis’ barons—and yours as well—and there is nothing to add to it but this, again: My Queen, My Queen.

Eventually I’ll grow tired of writing that, but not just yet. It’s been a long time in coming.

\- The Magus of Sounis and Eddis (that is, still—yours)


End file.
